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Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Galatians 6:9

Patience.
Can we all take a moment and acknowledge how hard this virtue can be to develop and maintain? While we all know patience to be an important part of life, it nonetheless can be a difficult part. Often times in my own life, patience was relatively easy in the early stages of the process but then after waiting-

then waiting some more-

it began to feel more like I was on pins and needles opposed to feeling at rest in the midst of God’s perfect timing. I was relying on my own understanding, rather than trusting in God’s timing.

Unfortunately, I am late sometimes. Alright, most of the time. It is an unintentional habit I’ve established over the years and have yet to kick it. However, God is never late. Notice, I didn’t say The Lord is early either. He is always right on time. Although, we often lose sight of this truth in the midst of our process and that’s exactly what it is- a process.

While I have never been a farmer there is one thing I know. Farming is a process. There is a bridge in between the seed and the harvest, that bridge being the wait. There is a time for the seed, a time for the harvest and likewise a time for the wait.

This blog is a follow up to my previous blog- Those Who Wait where I discuss the importance of waiting on The Lord. The wait isn’t a time to doubt, however, it is a time of expectancy. For as the farmer will see his harvest so will you see your harvest in due time. In perfect time. In God’s time.

But I will watch for the Lord; I will wait confidently for God, who will save me. My God will hear me. Micah 7:7

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:34-45

Love one another.

“By your love everyone will know that you are my disciples.” Loving people is how the world knows we are followers of Christ. Loving one another is a command of the Lord and through obeying this, we allow the world to see not only our love but the love of God.

“Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” 1 John 4:8

What a powerful verse. Whoever does not love does not know God. So what this verse is telling me is I can pray until I can’t speak, read His word until I can’t see and seek Him with every fiber of my being, but if I do not love I don’t know Him. If you want to know The Lord- love.

God is the very definition of love. Sometimes we describe people by their characteristic and for example might say, “If you look up the word ‘enthusiastic’ your face would be there.”

“Let all that you do be done in love.” 1 Corinthians 16:14

Is all that you’re doing being done in love? I think of my everyday life- my social interactions with people at work, gas stations, coffee shops, ext. In every situation, I have the choice to show the love of Jesus to those people.

“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law? Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ Matthew 22:36-39

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:14-16

Have you ever been in complete darkness? The kind of darkness in which you can’t see your hand in front of your face? That kind of pitch darkness and lightlessness is what the world is without Jesus.

As Christians, we are called to illuminate the world and show them Jesus in our day-to-day lives. If this objective has become vague and equivocal, we can alternate to blending into the darkness. You don’t have to look far into the scripture to realize Jesus was not on this earth to blend into the darkness but rather stand out and show the world the light.

“When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12

A town built on a hill is visible to everyone, thus we should be distinguishable and conspicuous to the world. Our Father wants us to shine our light. For we were all in darkness at one time, but God graciously called us out of it into the light.

“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” 1 Peter 2:9

“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Jerimiah 29:13

Have you ever felt like The Lord was distant? Maybe there have been periods in your life you felt He wasn’t there at all. I used to contend with these thoughts day in and day out. Observing my current situations, and asking “God are you even here?” I was expecting God to do all the work with no effort on my part. I wanted to find the Lord’s direction, joy, peace, and favor but did not want to put in the work to seek Him.

“Come near to God and He will come near to you.” James 4:8

Notice, the scripture doesn’t say, “He will come near to you and you will come near to Him.” However, it first takes action on our part. This is the way the Lord has it established. Imagine if you had a friend who gave you whatever you wanted, whenever you wanted it- You would never have any incentive to pursue that friend because you wouldn’t value that relationship. God wants us to pursue Him and value our relationship with Him.

Are you feeling alone? Do you need questions answered? Are you questioning if God’s there? Seek.

Seek God and you will find Him. Whenever I would go to get counsel for various obstacles I was facing as I was younger, one of the first things I would get asked is “How much time are you spending with God?” I would think to myself how simple that seemed. Surely for such a complex issue, the answer can’t be as simple as spending time with God, but it is. Seek and you will find.

Any great explorer who ever found something had to put the work in to find it. Christopher Columbus wouldn’t have found the new world if he didn’t sail across the Atlantic.

It seems simple because it is simple. For whatever question you are trying to find an answer, the answer is in God’s Word, in prayer, and on your knees.

“But from there you will seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you search for Him with all your heart and all your soul.” Deuteronomy 4:29-31

Two days ago while I was coming up on a vehicle at a red light, I noticed a large decal on its back window. At first glance, I thought the lettering read ‘Are You In God’s Hands?’ Once I motioned closer, I recognized it to be an Allstate company vehicle that instead read the infamous, ‘Are You In Good Hands?’ None-the-less it rendered a simple, yet profound question I want to present to you. Are you putting your life into His hands?

When someone says, “I’m taking matters into my own hands.” what have you found they are generally implying? That the person that originally was in control was not doing an adequate job, therefore they are taking control. Unfortunately, there have been times in my life, unintentionally I have put matters into my own hands. Whether it be financial, emotional, physical- with a self-assured mentality and dauntless resilience I try and control an outcome based on my ability. Living a life reliant upon our own strength and capability is a sure path to dissapointment.

“Lord, I put my life in your hands. I trust in you, my God, and I will not be disappointed.” Psalm 25:1

Exodus 14
Moses and the Isrealites are in some hot water with the Egyptians. Doubtful and unsure the Israelites tried to take conrtrol of their current situation. Moses replies in verse 13-14 saying “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” Moses trusted in the Lord. Living a life independent on our own understanding is like you, not knowing how to fly an aircraft, take it upon yourself to operate it when the pilot is right there, fully able and competent. You were never expected to play the role of the pilot in your life- but rather let God take control and be still.

Life is more smooth when you take all that time and energy out of leaning on your own understanding and trust in the Lord. As Psalm 25 tells us, you will not be disappointed!

During the California Gold Rush, there was a prospector that was searching for gold. This particular man searched for months and dug persistently to find what he believed to be, his breakthrough. As the days went by showing little-to-no promise, he lost faith and grew weary. Fed up, he sold his equipment and gave away his digging location to another man. It turned out this man went to work and only three feet into digging, he found the first man’s breakthrough. Three. Feet. Away. from his breakthrough, he gave up.

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Galatians 6:9

Joshua 6
I think of Joshua and the Israelites- I think of the moments leading up to the walls of Jericho collapsing. Can you imagine if right before the last lap around the walls of Jericho, they decided to throw in the towel? Whatever your walls you need to be torn down, remember there is power in persistence.

“Yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary.” Isaiah 40:31

“Good things come to those who wait” -on God.

Do you ever find yourself struggling with waiting during your day-to-day routines? Whether my 4G takes five seconds to load rather than the normal two or I have to wait in line an extra three minutes for my coffee, I have found myself trying to rush the inevitable, uncontrollable postponement of my current situations. Existing on a planet that moves at one-thousand miles per hour, it seems I have taken it upon myself to keep up with its speed. While there being nothing wrong with efficiency, it is important to remember in our life there is no two-day shipping or call ahead seating in the timing of The Lord.

Timing is important to God-from the prophecies of the Old Testament to the fulfillment of the New Testament, there is a very clear timeline to the Word of God. Too often we look at the timeline of our life and wrestle with the perfect timing of our Father. When we trust in his timing, we trust in His perfection. As I have said in my previous blog- Hope For Hang-Ups “God’s timing isn’t a second too early or a second too late. It’s perfect.”

Patience is a virtue. It is a virtue that allows us to sit still and at rest in the midst of God’s impeccable plan for our life.

“Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!” Psalm 27:14

Psalm 32:8-9: I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you. Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you.

Imagine, you are at the bottom of a massive mountain and your objective is to get to the top. You have no idea which direction to start, no idea which path to take but you have to make it to the summit. Luckily, there is a mountain guide that knows exactly what you need to do. This guide has the knowledge and guidance you need in order to keep your path straight and moving forward. However, instead of letting the guide lead you, you chose your own way. Do you ever struggle with leaning on your own understanding and not allowing God, your guide, to make your path straight?

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6

Trust. It can be a very difficult thing to develop, but this is exactly what The Lord is asking of us. The Lord wants you to trust in Him with all your heart, He doesn’t want sixty percent, not ninety, but all of your heart. Trusting in our Father’s guidance is the key to unlocking the door of your future. Saying you trust Him, only to turn around and make your own path is being double-minded. Only having a GPS in your vehicle doesn’t get you to your destination, but it takes you trusting in that guidance and acting on it. Just as, saying you trust in God but not following his guidance won’t get you to where you’re going.

When we put God first and listen to the way He is telling us to go, everything falls into place. It might not happen the way you want it to, or when you want it to, but your path will fall into place. Do you want a clear path for your future this 2018? Remember the three-step process we learned above in Proverbs 32:

1) Trust in the Lord with all your heart
2) Lean not on your own understanding
3) Submit to God

“Yet you, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.” Isaiah 64:8

I love architecture. I love admiring the creativity and creation first seeded from an idea then birthed into reality. My wife always makes the comment, if you put me in any sort of building I will have something to talk about for hours. It doesn’t matter where it is, I am always finding myself rambling on about the intricate detail that goes into the design and construction of one said structure. What is the last creation you have seen that has left you astonished? Maybe it was a building, a painting or a poem. Now imagine that creation questioning its creator. Unfortunately, I have been guilty of this very thing.

“How foolish can you be? He is the Potter, and he is certainly greater than you, the clay! Should the created thing say of the one who made it, “He didn’t make me”? Does a jar ever say, “The potter who made me is stupid” Isaiah 29:16

Why don’t I look like that person? Why don’t I have these talents? God couldn’t have made me, look at me. Insecure and uncertain, we question the formulation of God, our Creator. Ephesians 2:10 tells us we are God’s handiwork, so why question our Maker? You are the work of the One who made the mountains and the sky, do we question the creation of the mountains or sky? Of course not, we see their purpose and significance! Just as your Creator sees purpose and significance in you!

God knew exactly what He was doing as He made each unique feature that you are made up of. We are fearfully and wonderfully made, with every detail down to your fingerprints, sophisticatedly arranged by the hand of God. It is hard to live our full potential when our full attention is fixated on what we don’t have. When we live a life full of appreciation for what we do have, we no longer question our Creator’s creation, but rather live fearless and brazen knowing we are God’s masterpiece!

These words aren’t meant to be applied to our lives so we live full of boastfulness and self-worship. However, we boast in the Lord because our confidence is in Him. We are going to get to the end of our life and we’ll have done one of two things: live a life questioning our purpose or live a life answering the call of God on our life. Your desires, dreams, gifts and callings have been put in you by God, and it’s through God that you can accomplish those things.

The Father / The Children
The Creator / The CreationThe Potter / The Clay

Think back to the last time you had an obstacle that made you feel hopeless. Maybe it was a year ago, a week ago or maybe you are finding yourself in the midst of a hang-up as you read this. These roadblocks are inevitable but unfortunately, we often find ourselves feeling at the end of our road with no good future.

Genesis 37-50 Joesph is no stranger to such difficulties. But through every trial, he remained faithful to the Lord, and the Lord remained faithful to Joseph. From being sold into slavery by his own family to being falsely accused by Potiphar’s wife, it would have been easy for Joseph to question his purpose and future. But he knew The Lord had a plan. Too often in our life, we scale our life down to one day, one feeling, or one obstacle when God is looking at our whole life. There was no time where God and His favor couldn’t be found in Joseph’s life. How great is it to serve a God, that even in slavery or prison, uses that very same obstacle to promote and bless us. He is the God that turns hang-ups into hope!

If he were never a slave to Potiphar, he would have never became his assistant. If he were never a prisoner, he would have a never became second in command of Egypt. Joseph goes on to name his first child Manasseh meaning ‘Forget’ saying, “God made me forget all my hardships and my parental home.” Then he went on to name his second-born Ephraim meaning ‘Double Prosperity’ saying, “God has prospered me in the land of my sorrow.” I’m here to tell you God can do the very same thing for you! He will make you forget your past hardships and give you prosperity in your land of sorrow! Joseph trusted in something a lot of us have a hard time with-God’s timing. The same obstacle your facing could be the very thing that promotes you to the best place in life you’ve ever been! God’s timing isn’t a second too early or a second too late. It’s perfect.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
Jeremiah 29:11

God’s plans for you is something to look forward to, no matter what season you are in. So that means for whatever your past, there’s a good future. For every failed plan, there’s a plan to prosper. For every hang up, there IS hope!